Three Days Ashore
by Vrazdova
Summary: FFV, Faris: Even when off-duty, young Faris practices to someday fill the boots of a captain. A short break from the sea brings about a great - if at times stressful - adventure with a group of friends ashore. [Pre-canon]


There was a satisfying _splat_ as her bare feet hit the cool mud. Flecks of it sprayed up and dotted her calves, sun-browned and boasting a fine coat of bleach-blonde hairs. Her adolescent instincts nearly stopped her right then – the squishy mud felt nice between her toes after weeks of hot tarred wooden planks and rope-ladders that bit and burned. But she was fourteen now, and as such had important responsibilities to uphold, and she certainly couldn't afford to be seen playing in the mud like a child.

"Three days, Faris!" came a gruff voice from above.

Faris turned, squinting into the sun above the silhouette of a massive ship. "Three days, I know!"

Slinging a knapsack over her shoulder, she took off at a sprint, away from the port and into town.

- x - x - x -

She cut through wynds and closes, hurdling over gates and slipping around the corners of tall buildings before angry residents, hanging out windows, had a chance to wave their fists in her direction. Her winding path came to a halt when she faced a circle of three children squatting around what appeared to be a most fascinating horned toad.

"To attention!" she barked, and the smaller of two boys was startled backwards onto his behind. The others – a boy and girl both around Faris' age – looked up, and, seeing just who it was that stood before them, quickly scrambled to their feet. The toad hopped away in the confusion.

"Faris!" cried the girl, a curly-haired lass covered in freckles from head to toe. She was short but sturdy, and had a faint gap between her front teeth. "You're back!"

"That's _Cap'n_ Faris to ye!" Faris crossed her arms and held her chin high. The others exchanged questioning glances. "And you've all been promoted, sailors. There's a grand mission in store, and I need a reliable crew. Off yer arse, Iain, up ye go!" The muscles in her gangly arms flexed as she grabbed the fallen boy's hand and pulled him up with surprising strength.

Faris' gaze fell upon each of the scrappy children in turn as she rustled through the contents of her bag. "Lileas, yer the quartermaster. That's basically as good as first mate." She pulled out a small sheathed knife and handed it to the girl. "I'm in charge o' course, but ye make the next-most important decisions. And these are yer men when I'm gone." Faris nodded at the boys. Lileas beamed.

"Rab," Fairs turned to the older boy, who was nearly as tall as Faris and certainly rounder. From her bag she bestowed upon him a coil of sturdy rope. "I name ye bos'n. It's yer duty to make sure everything's in place and in good working order. I'll be showin' ye how to tie some knots that'll make this rope nigh invaluable. And since yer good with animals, yer in charge of wrangling the chocobo."

Rab frowned, mouth slightly slackened. "Chocobo? What chocobo?"

His question went unanswered as Faris passed a roll of parchment and what looked like a bronze pocket watch to the smallest of their crew, Rab's younger brother. "Iain, yer the navigator and scout. Rab told me last time that ye can read a map, aye? Yer gonna learn to use that compass now too."

"But who's the _actual_ first mate, then?" asked Rab, perhaps looking a bit hurt that Lileas had won the title of next-best thing.

Faris folded her arms. "That's my Syldra, o' course. Always an' forever."

"What'cha got up your sleeve, Faris? How long you in town?" Lileas appeared as though she couldn't decide whether her new knife or Iain's compass was the most interesting of their gifts.

"Three days. Just enough time to get up to the Cliffs of Torreven and back. There's real treasure to be found in the caves below, and that map will lead us to it!"

"But Faris, maw will never let us go for that long!" cried Iain.

"_I'm yer momma for the next three days_, ye scamps!" Faris bellowed. "Now run along and pack yer bags – and don't forget the lesson ye learned last time about bringin' things ye don't need. I'll fill ye in on the plans when the timin's right. Meet me at Finley's in an hour or the ship sails without ye!"

- x - x - x -

Faris' feet dangled a few inches above the floor of the tavern. She was tall, but not yet tall enough to sit properly on the rickety barstools at Finley's. She had since retrieved a pair of leather boots and a cloak for the upcoming journey, which would be taking them along the rocky northern coast of County Gwyndol. A lukewarm pint of ale was cupped between both hands. It was supposed to be better than the swill they drank at sea, but she hadn't quite developed a taste for the fancier stuff. She stubbornly raised the glass to her lips anyhow.

She liked Carwen, and so did her fellow men aboard the _Serpent's Fin_, so they stopped here as often as a pirate ship of their notoriety feasibly could. A couple years back, Faris had taken note of the young boy and girl who always happened to be hanging around the docks when the _Serpent's Fin_ came to port. They would whisper to each other, judgment in their eyes, when Faris – small and scrawny and crowned with a glowing mop of wavy blonde hair – would disembark right along with a dozen scruffy, weathered older men. Disliking this perceived negative attention, she eventually confronted them – but as was her way of dealing with interpersonal issues, it became more of a provocation, and things quickly turned to blows. Yet even though she was outnumbered and doubly outweighed by the catty duo, the result of the scuffle was that apologies were extracted in short order from her opponents both.

Despite their tense first encounter, Faris wasn't so eager to toss the kids aside, however – for as much as she enjoyed her life as a pirate and the company of her fellow shipmates, the lack of other children her age certainly left a void in her heart that opened wider and more painfully after long bouts on the open sea.

To be fair, though, it was in part the need to have someone to relate to, but also a desire to have someone _she _could lord over for a change.

Once her position as the most cunning of the three was settled, she was only too happy to crown herself king whenever the _Serpent's Fin_ docked in Carwen thenceforward; the intermittent leader of a temporary gang. Lileas and Rab soon began to look forward to her sporadic visits – Faris no longer being merely perceived as the foreign lad with a funny way of speaking – because it meant a break in the monotony of life in the windy port town.

Though her crew were land-based, Faris extended the title of _sailor _to both Lileas and Rab, and as well to the young Iain once he began tagging along. Lately, Faris had been especially interested in the planning of organized expeditions – much in the way that her own dear captain of the _Serpent's Fin_ did for his pirates to great reward. And so for the past three months, Faris had been grilling every single one of her shipmates, consulting every map and lorebook of the land surrounding Carwen for an idea, until she had at last latched on to a particular line in an old chantey that originated from the greater County Gwyndol:

_Beneath the stormy moons of spring,  
>A careless gift the tides do bring:<br>A treasure for the eyes and hearts  
>Of lonesome sailor men.<em>

_They bathe and bask in lunar glow,  
>Amid the maze of rocks below,<br>Till sunrise when their dance departs  
>The Cliffs of Torreven.<em>

She hummed its tune to herself before downing the dregs of the bitter ale in a single resolute gulp. When she spun around in her stool, she found her ragtag crew just walking through the door. A coin fell from her fingers and clattered onto the counter as she pushed herself to the ground.

"Off we get, then!" she announced as greeting, and immediately caught both Rab and Lileas by the shoulders to turn them back around.

"But I wanted a cider," said Iain with a pout.

Faris continued to shoo the three of them outside, one eye on the bartender who was noticeably agitated by the brood of children congregating in his tavern. "You've got to earn yer drinks, lad. I'll buy ye a round if we come back successful."

* * *

><p>"'Scuse me, can I pet one of the chocobos?"<p>

Lileas peered up at the stable boy with her sweetest wide-eyed smile. The boy – looking to be in his late teens, judging by the number of spots on his face – was perched on a wooden fence post with a look of abject boredom plastered across his face. He turned his lethargic gaze to the girl.

"I guess so," he said with a slow drawl, making no hurry to slide down from the fence and open the latch on the gate. Three yellow chocobos grazed listlessly under the shade of a tree just beyond. He led her to the smallest of them and clicked his tongue to get its attention.

"Just pet the side of her neck and don't ruffle the feathers backward. Don't stand behind her."

Lileas happily obliged. The chocobo appeared indifferent to the attention.

"Can I _ride_ a chocobo?" she then asked with a sideways glance.

The boy slumped his arms across his chest. "No miss, you gotta pay for that. That's the whole business. Can't be givin' out free rides."

"Well I've never _been _on a chocobo before; how will I know if I even like it? Can I just sit on one?"

"You can pay fifty gil and find out."

Lileas pouted. "Can you just _tell_ me about chocobo riding? How do you put the saddle on? How do you steer? I just wanna learn! Momma won't pay for lessons 'cos she thinks I'm not dedicated 'nuff. I wanna prove her wrong!"

The boy sighed deeply and turned his head to either side, as though looking for an excuse not to. But it was undeniably a slow, hot day, and there was nothing better to do, so he begrudgingly waved her over toward the western stable.

As she trotted along behind him, Lileas made a deliberate sweeping gesture with her left hand before disappearing through the stable door.

- x - x - x -

"Iain says she's in! Western stable. Let's go!"

Faris was giddy with excitement as she pulled Rab into the eastern stable and surveyed the options. Inside, there were four chocobos in separate pens – two yellow, one blue and one black.

"Pick fast!" she whispered, scampering over to the stack of saddles and other riding gear.

Rab walked up and down the aisle, scrutinizing each bird. "Aw man, a black chocobo would be so great..."

"So grab it!" A massive saddle hit the ground with a thud, and she began plucking leather straps attached to brass rings from the hooks on the wall and tossing them over her shoulder.

"You have to be an expert to ride a black chocobo – some of them can _fly_!"

"Well...!" Faris was growing impatient. "Find the one ye think we can actually handle, and find it quick!"

A twinge of panic sparked at the pit of her stomach as she realized her arms were already full to capacity, and that the saddle alone was heavy enough to require both of their strength. Who knew chocobo riding required so much _stuff_? If only they could've been so fortunate as to find a bird already tacked up! She poked her head out the back door and hissed between her teeth. Iain peered down at her from the sloped stable roof.

"Still clear," he said as quietly as possible, and Faris nodded. She dumped the armload of reins on the ground and gestured to Iain – _this is for you to carry_ – then dashed back inside. She found Rab finishing up a quick bowline knot in the rope around the neck of a weathered yellow chocobo.

"That has got to be the oldest chocobo I've ever seen," said Faris with a grimace.

"Yeah, and he'll probably be the least likely to throw us off its back. Take the rope and lead him out; I'll grab the saddle."

"There's no way –" Faris started, but then watched with awe as Rab squatted in front of the saddle and hoisted it onto his back like a turtle shell.

"All right then, let's git!" Faris heaved the strap of a feed bag onto her shoulder and gave the leading rope a little tug.

They strode out the back of the stable, chocobo in tow, as Iain clambered off the roof to join them. The odd train made their way through the winding fields and farms that led away from Carwen, keeping off the dirt paths so as not to leave too obvious of tracks. At last, sheltered by an oak grove, Rab announced that it was time to take a break by letting the saddle drop to the ground. He collapsed dramatically beside it.

"Couldn't we just have planned to walk the whole way? Leave out this chocobo-stealing business?" he groaned. His brother followed suit and let the strappings he carried tumble to the dirt. Then he happily plopped himself down as well.

"Once we get 'im saddled up you'll quit complainin'," said Faris, stretching her back, now freed of the weight of the feed bag. "And the Cliffs of Torreven are too far to walk in the time we've got. Go ahead and rest now till Lileas gets here – then the _real _adventure begins!"

"I thought stealin' the chocobo _was_ the adventure!" said Iain.

"Weren't ye listenin' when I told ye everything this morning?" Faris walked over to a particular gnarled shrub and pulled four satchels from between its branches. "Ye gotta be sharper than that, lad. A proper sailor shouldn't have to have the mission explained twice!"

"Sorry, Cap'n," he mumbled.

"And we aren't stealin' _anything_, remember; we're _borrowing _the chocobo for a couple days. Now take out that map I gave ye. Might be easier to follow with this to look at now."

Iain obliged, and the three crowded around the wrinkled parchment. Faris pointed at a cluster of dots near the right edge. "This is Carwen. The stable we just came from is near the western end of town. We continued west and now we're about here." She dragged her finger half an inch to the left. "_These_ are the Cliffs of Torreven." A jump to the other end of the map. "Think about how long it took us just to get this far, and how long it would take us to walk the rest of the way at that pace!"

Rab and Iain nodded solemnly.

"But you haven't _really_ told us what's so great about the Cliffs," said Rab with a frown. "Why do we gotta go so far to find treasure? What kinda treasure is it?"

"Don't expect to make it as a pirate with _that _attitude!" Faris barked. "'Tis the nature of treasure hunting – ye've got to travel far and work hard for the biggest prize, and if yer not willin' to make that effort ye can turn around right now!"

The boys were silent. "Good," Faris continued. "I knew ye were a dedicated crew. And I know it seems unfair now, but I want ye to see just what ye can win when ye put yer heart into it! Now, I also want it to be a surprise, and that's why I'm not tellin' ye exactly what the treasure is, but I'll give ye a hint: have ye heard the chantey called _Bonny Gwyndolyn_?"

- x - x - x -

Lileas' reunion with the group was accompanied by excitement and laughter. Faris could see the threads of her plan weaving themselves together as the other children began to understand and appreciate what they'd already managed to pull off. They had a means of transportation in their possession – acquired by distraction and teamwork – and even though none among them had ever ridden a chocobo before, they now had fresh knowledge on the subject that could be applied to their first unsupervised attempt. Lileas showed them how to fit the saddle and reins to the patient old bird with the help of some sprigs of gysahl greens – which she had grabbed from the stable gardens before skipping off to the assigned meeting place – and in surprisingly short order, the gang of four were mounted on the chocobo's back and awkwardly tottering along through the grove and down the road. Rab eagerly took the reins.

"Gods almighty!" he cried with glee as he kicked the bird into a swift canter. "I can't believe I'm really steering a chocobo!"

"Easy now, don't get ahead of yerself!" Faris shouted from behind him. She clutched his waist self-consciously, though her grip wasn't nearly as tight as was Lileas' around her own. "We all… need a bit to get used to this!"

There was a tense moment as Rab faltered with the reins, unintentionally jerking them to a halt instead of easing the bird to slow to a trot. "Ahh, come on now, laddie," he said with a bit of a waver in his voice. "There we go, let's try this again."

The chocobo started back up at a steady walk, and all four passengers collectively sighed with relief.

"Okay, let's… let's make sure we're staying on the right path before we get too far. Iain, ye got yer compass at hand?" Faris twisted her head around and found herself cheek-to-nose with Lileas. The girl turned bright red, and Faris bristled slightly, being unused to such close contact with others.

Iain was surprisingly at ease at the back of the saddle, and he spared a hand from Lileas' waist to flick open the compass that hung around his neck by a chain. "The needle is pointing at… uh… it keeps jumping around. It's between 'N' and 'E'."

"Aye, good. Now turn the compass carefully till the needle lines up with 'N'. What letter is closest to the top?"

There were a few seconds of silence as Iain concentrated. "Uh… M," he announced at last.

Faris took a moment to process the answer. "That'll be an upside-down W. But good! Good, we're on course. Fine work, lad." Faris relaxed her posture and felt Lileas adjust her arms about Faris' midsection. She sighed quietly. Her own words from earlier rang in her head as she tried to remain optimistic about how absolutely uncomfortable everything was at the moment. A bouncing chocobo between the legs was nothing like a rocking ship beneath the feet, for one. And for as much as she enjoyed the company of both Rab and Lileas, she wasn't sure how she felt about being sandwiched between them. She was used to having space, and lots of it, between herself and other bodies most of the time. There was something about this forced contact that made her hyper-aware of her own skin, and it made her anxious. A bump in the road knocked her chest into Rab's back. Lileas' fidgeting around her stomach sent a shiver up her spine. They were both too close; Faris felt too vulnerable.

She suddenly had to focus very closely on her breathing. _Keep it steady, don't panic..._

As if by a gift of the gods, Rab then decided to break the oppressing silence.

"Let's sing a song while we're stuck on this train! How goes that chantey that brought us this far, Cap'n?"

The air rushed from Faris' lungs before she realized she'd been holding her breath, but she managed to crack a smile. "Ahh, let's see," she said, words a bit shaky. She cleared her throat, and cleared her head of the unwelcome thoughts that had begun to swirl within her. "It begins like this…"

- x - x - x -

The sun was already touching the horizon when they came upon a jagged torr by which to spend the night. The chocobo lowered for Rab and Faris to slide off its back, who in turn helped Lileas and Iain achily dismount.

"Aughh, I can't feel my arse!" cried Iain as he hobbled a few steps forward. "I'll never walk straight again!"

All four of them were rather worse for wear after their first unskilled venture in the saddle. Rab at least managed to muster the energy to free the chocobo from its reins and saddle before collapsing onto the ground beside his brother.

"Why is it so tiring just to _sit_? I feel awful," said Lileas, kicking off her boots.

"I know it's tough, but I'm proud of ye for everything you've done today." Faris stretched in an attempt to crack her back. Even she was surprised by the toll the ride had taken on her – bow legs, numb behind, sore back, and a painful cramping in her abdomen. When she failed to attain that satisfying snap in her bones, she gave up and sat down with her legs stretched out before her. She wanted to lie down on her side, truly, but was loath to show too much weakness before her crew.

"We'll have to fetch water for the bird before it gets dark," she continued, willing her voice to sound healthier than she felt. "If we've stayed true to course, the shore should be not half a mile to the north. Let's rest for a bit and then one of us can climb the torr to get a better view."

A weary silence settled over the group as they searched for food and water in their satchels. After filling their bellies they slowly made preparations for the night; setting out the chocobo's feed bag, spreading out bedrolls, and gathering kindling for a small fire. The torr provided a cozy nook that sheltered them from the wind, and would have likely kept them dry from rain had the weather been less favorable.

Rab and Lileas volunteered to retrieve a bucket of water for the chocobo before night fell, and Faris helped Iain go over the map in the meantime. Despite the rough start, they'd made good time and were well on their way to their destination. They could afford to travel at a more leisurely pace the next day, as they would have no trouble reaching the Cliffs of Torreven to set up camp well before the next sunset.

"Well, I still can't figure out what it is we're supposed to find at the Cliffs," said Rab, gratefully settling into his bedroll for the evening, "but it's been a fun time so far. Wish you'd come 'round more often, Cap'n!"

Faris smiled, sleep threatening to weigh her eyes shut at any moment. "Wish I could too, sailors. Alas, I can only follow the waves…"

And before she knew it, the chirp and buzz of insects melted dreamily away amidst the brisk sea breeze.

* * *

><p>Her eyes opened with a start. She felt clammy – even more so than the humid air about her should have allowed. In a single swift movement, she whipped the cover of her bedroll off but laid still for a moment, allowing the cool night air to relieve her hot skin.<p>

Something was wrong.

Was she sick? She rolled to her side and immediately curled in on herself as a dull ache throbbed all through her midsection. Oh, this would be a fine time for a stomach bug – if she lost her supper now she might have to call the mission short, and how could she ever call herself Captain then? It would be a disgrace, but… a life on the perilous and unpredictable seas had made her cautious. She lived for adventure, but wasn't about to put her own life on the line. They could turn around; it would be okay… They could try again next time.

She pushed herself up on one elbow and mentally evaluated herself. No, she wasn't nauseated – in fact, she felt somewhat hungry. And oh, her lower back ached terribly. Perhaps it was still the aftershock of the chocobo ride. That had indeed been the brashest part of her plan – she could understand having to pay rather dearly for it. Even still…

Maybe a quick walk was what she needed – stretch the legs, get some air, maybe a midnight snack to hold her over. She gingerly shifted her weight forward and started to rise when the realization hit her. Her fingers drifted hesitantly to the seat of her breeches.

_Oh no. Oh, no!_

She had heard her shipmates – rough, careless men, the lot – talk about a woman's _monthlies _in a dismissive tone from time to time. It was an annoyance, a nuisance, something to be treated with minor but not insignificant dread. Faris had pondered on the subject now and again, but never with much interest, for she had honestly begun to think that she would somehow find herself immune. She was a pirate, after all. She lived among men. She _was_ a man! – In the eyes of her brothers, at least. As for what she saw in the mirror's reflection – she wasn't entirely sure, and it wasn't something she liked to think about very much. But this could not be simply ignored. This was… this was…

This was a_ problem_, now, wasn't it.

Her heart began to thump heavily within her chest. She tried to swallow the rising panic but it remained a persistent lump in her throat. What should she do? What _could_ she do? She knew next to nothing about this phenomenon, about what it meant, how one was supposed to handle it – even under _ideal_ circumstances. Circumstances that didn't require _hiding_ this bodily truth from everyone who knew her as though her very life depended on it.

She took in a big gulp of air and held it in her lungs for a long moment. As the breath eventually burst from between her lips, she quickly found her resolve. There was only a single good option before her, and it was, admittedly, as good of one as she could truly hope for.

Even though it still shot a fresh wave of anxiety into her already-roiling belly.

Faris crawled out of her bedroll and crept cautiously to her left. The waxing moon provided enough light to see where she was going, but everything about her surroundings suddenly weighed upon her as if to put her on trial: the drone of insects was so loud it pulsed in her ears; the oceanic wind howled around the rocks that sheltered her. The dead-stillness of her sleeping companions intensified her unease.

She hesitated one last time, until an unmerciful abdominal cramp propelled her onward –

"_Lileas_," she whispered, gently rocking the girl's shoulder. "_Lileas, wake up_."

Lileas stirred and let out a tiny groan. Faris whipped her head around to check on the brothers, but they remained fast asleep.

"Fa-ri…?" Lileas yawned, turning onto her back. She rubbed at her eyes and looked up at Faris questioningly. "What's up?"

"Can ye…" The anxiety threatened to rear its ugly head once again. _Breathe. Swallow. Breathe._ "Come with me? Don't wake the others."

Lileas quickly perked up, a curious frown breaking through the sleepy expression on her face. "I guess so; I…"

Faris put a finger to her lips and beckoned her friend follow. They carefully climbed up out of their nook and around to the other side of the torr, where they knelt down in the coarse and rocky grass.

"What is it? Something the matter?"

Faris stared down at her knees, suddenly paralyzed.

"Lilas… um…" She felt her breath growing thinner and thinner, and at once feared she would choke if she didn't quickly loosen her tongue.

"Have ye… do you get ye get yer monthlies yet?" she blurted out. Every muscle in her body tensed in unison. She spared a peek up at Lileas.

The girl's mouth hung slack, eyes wide, the whites of which glittered just slightly in the moonlight. An unbearably tense moment passed, until Lileas broke the silence –

"Why would you ask such a thing? I don't understand! Why it's – that's none of your business!"

Faris shamefully raised her head to see that Lileas was angry.

"I thought – I thought you were going to –"

"Lileas, I'm a girl!" Faris exclaimed, and wished at once that she could curl up so tightly she would disappear.

Lileas stopped and put a hand to her mouth.

"I'm sorry, I – didn't mean to deceive ye. I just…" Faris couldn't continue. Her brow creased almost painfully, and her bottom lip jutted out of its own volition. She knew she looked like a petulant child, but she was beyond controlling herself. The last thing she managed to do before bursting into tears was bury her face in her hands.

But she quickly felt a warm hand upon her back.

"I'm so ashamed…" Faris sobbed, and the touch turned into an embrace. Lileas held her for a minute as she shuddered and cried, and waited patiently for Faris to regain some of her composure before speaking again.

"I don't think you should be ashamed of anything," she said gently. "Most certainly not of being a girl. _I'm_ a girl, and it's not shameful thing to be!" Lilas dabbed a tear from Faris' cheek.

"I know…" Faris said, wiping her nose on her sleeve. "But it's… complicated…"

Lileas patted Faris' tangle of curls, and Faris felt a pang in her heart at the deliberate touch.

"So… tonight's your first moon I take it. It's okay; it'll be okay! It's really not such a big deal, you know – once you get used to it." Lileas continued sifting locks of bleach-blonde hair through her fingers. "It's just a little blood, and everyone bleeds, y'hear? _Everyone _bleeds and cries from time to time, girls _and _boys. _I've_ made boys bleed and cry!"

Faris felt her midsection contract in a silent laugh, yet more tears fell even as she cracked a smile.

"You haven't deceived anyone; I dunno what you're talking about. I know who you are: you're just Faris, you're my Cap'n, _you're my bleedin' Cap'n_!"

"Stop!" Faris protested, but she was laughing all the same.

Lileas' hands dropped back down to her side. "All right then, let's get this taken care of. Nothing to fuss about, really. Let's go down to the shore to freshen up, it's not too far…"

The two of them clambered stiffly to their feet, and they walked hand-in-hand toward the shimmering moonlit sea.

* * *

><p>"Here, I want ye to try this!" Faris passed a wineskin to Rab. The sip he took promptly sprayed forth from between his lips.<p>

"What is that swill?" he cried, wiping his cuff across his mouth.

"That's what we call _grog_! And it's what we gotta drink while at sea." Faris grinned as Rab shoved the bladder back into her hands. She looked at Lileas questioningly, who returned her glance with a look of mock incredulity, but then grabbed the skin as though accepting a challenge. She couldn't hide her disgust at the taste, but she at least kept it down.

"It's a mix of water and rum and lemon. This here is a fresh batch – it only gets worse as the weeks go on!"

"Ugh, why do you drink it?" Iain asked with a grimace, passing the skin back to Faris.

"Fresh water goes bad after a while, so the rum and lemon helps keep it good – or at least, makes you _think _it's still sorta good. It's not very good at all though, is it? That's why pirates drink so much when we're ashore!" She winked.

The party strolled on down their path to the west on foot, Rab leading the chocobo by his rope-leash. Nobody had protested when Faris suggested they warm up with a hike before getting back in the saddle that day. While she felt somewhat better than the night before, there were too many odd sensations churning in her gut at the moment for her to be able to deal with the rough jostling on the chocobo's back just yet. That, and her breeches were still damp from having washed them at the shore. A hike under the sun would help sort all that out.

Upon waking from a partial night of fitful sleep, she'd been struck with a moment of fear that the first thing out of Lileas' mouth that morning would be the unceremonious spilling of all of Faris' secrets to Rab and Iain. But the girl's kindness from the previous evening proved steadfast, and indeed, Lileas seemed to treat it as though she now guarded something precious and formidable. What's more, her role as protector of this knowledge suddenly opened her up, somehow – she was acting more familiar, more at ease around Faris, where before she might have blushed or held herself back. They didn't have a chance to speak in private before hitting the road that morning, but Faris suspected Lileas was glad to have another adventuresome 'girl' on the team, even if Faris wasn't entirely sure what to make of her own self in that regard. It was again a subject she preferred to _dis_regard – though clearly, she was getting to an age where it was becoming more difficult to ignore.

Whatever the specifics, Faris too was happy with the result of last night's near-disaster. Intimacy was something she often felt discomfitting, but for once, she found relief in having someone with whom to share her burdens. She was comfortable with Lileas on that level now, she decided. Maybe these things didn't have to be so complicated after all.

"Hey Cap'n, tell us more about life on a ship!" said Iain, pulling Faris away from her thoughts. "What do you eat? Do you get your own bedroom? Have you seen any sharks? Do you ever go fishing?"

Faris took a swig of her grog and gave him a devilish smile. "Sounds like yer interested in becoming a sailor for real, are ye? It's a lot of hard work, I warn ye – much harder than what we're doing now."

"Well…" he said, looking thoughtful. "When you're Cap'n of your own ship, I think you'd make the work fun for everyone. If I was a real sailor, I'd want to be on your crew!"

She couldn't resist throwing her chin up and shoulders back at that. "When I've got a vessel of my own, Carwen'll be the first place I come to recruit. Now, let me tell ye a story about the great pearl-finned shark of the Asbørn Sea…"

- x - x - x -

The sun raced ahead of them as the day went on, and after a leisurely break for food and drink and recouping their energy, they all decided that they were ready to get back in the saddle. Under Lileas' supervision, Rab ensured all the tack was properly equipped, and with an offering of gysahl greens, enticed the chocobo to lower itself so they could all climb aboard. There was a collective groan as the bird stood and made a wobbly start under Rab's command.

"Oh quiet, the lot of you," he said, regaining control of the reins. "I've got the hardest role out of all of us!"

"And yer doin' a fine job at it," Faris chuckled. "It's just our bums haven't forgiven us yesterday's ride yet, is all."

"Ahh yes, _that's_ where those bruises are!" said Lileas with a grimace in her voice. Her curls tickled Faris' cheek as she rested her head against Faris' shoulderblade.

"It'll be a'right, the Cliffs aren't too much farther. The longest trip will be the way back tomorrow, and we'll be pros at this by then!" Faris reached over her shoulder with the opposite hand and patted Lileas on the head.

"That's the spirit…" Lileas mumbled into her back.

They fell mostly silent for the remainder of the journey, the sun in their eyes injecting them with warm lethargy. But the ride proved relatively short, as promised, and soon enough they were rolling off the chocobo's back as the roar of the ocean greeted them from below. A strong breeze whisked away any yearning thoughts of warm meals and soft beds.

The chocobo was happy to nestle down in its place as the children skipped toward the cliff's edge. Their steps grew slower and more cautious as they neared the end of the road.

The view beyond was nothing like Carwen natives had ever before seen: a ground just inches before their toes dropped sharply several hundred feet, to where the ocean met violently with the rocky base of the cliffs. The waters were an undulating mix of navy blue and creamy green, and every lovely hue in between, until it crashed in waves and scattered into white foam to be recycled back into the sea. It was a mesmerizing display from so high up above. When one crept low to the ground to peer over the edge, it was easy to imagine that this was much the way that birds viewed the world – somehow made more majestic by the ability to observe the big picture after having been immersed in the details. A long time passed as Faris, Rab, Lileas and Iain simply sat and watched, legs dangling over the edge, smitten by the ceaseless performance down below.

"The sea is most beautiful where she meets the land," said Faris, not yielding her gaze. "Both earth and ocean separately tire for the eyes in time, but a sight like this – it's always a thrill."

Her companions remained silent in respect or accordance.

Iain was eventually the first to break their shared reverie. He pulled himself to his feet and stretched his stiff muscles with a yawn. "Well," he said, "Where do we go from here, Cap'n? We must be close, right?"

"Treasure awaits!" said Rab eagerly.

"Is it something heavy? Will we have to leave something behind to take it with us?" asked Lileas. "Or _someone_?" She nudged Iain, who made a sound of protest.

Faris laughed. "No, no, we'll have no trouble bringing this treasure back with us – or, a part of it anyway. Our ultimate goal is actually down there," she said, pointing to the tumultuous cliff-base below. She delighted in the looks of shock she received in response. "Not _exactly _what you see there, but nearer the bottom. If we loop round the other side, there's a gentler path to the shore, and from there we can reach the caves!"

"And the treasure is in the caves?" asked Rab. All four of them now stood, brushing the dirt from their breeches.

"It'll be… somewhere round the caves, aye. We'll set up camp inside – a little damp, but it's better than this wind – and rest up till nightfall. When the moon shines tonight – _that's_ when we'll find the treasure, and not before then." Faris grinned in a way that told the others she would disclose no further information on their mysterious prize. They followed her back to the chocobo, and then set off on the final leg of their journey.

The wind became rather treacherous on their descent. The rocky earth was slick with sea-spray, and the chocobo grew agitated as they led him as carefully as possible down the narrowing path. Faris hadn't known how well the old bird would handle this difficult terrain, and felt a pang of sympathy as he hobbled around obstacles. She resolved to sneak back to his stables and spoil him terribly with treats on every subsequent visit to Carwen.

When they reached the mouth of the first cave, they paused to recollect themselves. Faris instructed them to wait and tend to the chocobo while she scouted the area for the best place to set up camp. She pulled off her boots and bounded off across the rocks.

The water that splashed her bare feet was freezing, but it sent a thrill of excitement up her spine. Their journey thus far had had its share of adventures, but this was where her heart lay – running climbing and exploring at her own pace, untethered to anyone else, her calloused feet and hands understanding the language of the surfaces beneath them with absolute precision. She had scouted many places like this on pirate missions past, and her keen senses were on full alert as she took note of the slope of the ground, the strength of the wind, the potential reach of the full tide. When she was finally satisfied, she made her way back.

"The third opening you can see round the bend," she said, shouting over the wind, "that's where we'll be staying. It's quite comfortable inside; I think you'll like it. There's a simpler path to it than ye saw me take coming back, don't worry. Follow me!"

And the wary party wound their way through the maze of rocks until they indeed found themselves in a surprisingly cozy little cavern. Lileas and Iain immediately set to sorting out their wind-tangled hair while Rab helped the chocobo preen its feathers back into place.

"Ye can rest or wander as ye see fit now," said Faris, after they'd all settled in. "Now we wait for moonlight."

They ate and talked and laughed as their shadows grew long and spindly and ultimately melted into a solid blanket of darkness. There was a quiet hour or so, after the sun had set but before the moon rose, where they all lay in their bedrolls, trying to sleep but being kept awake by excitement at the thought of what was to come. Perhaps sleep _did_ come to each of them in turn, subtle and stealthy, suspected only by the sudden absence or return of the sound of rushing waves in the distance. And then, at once, it was time.

Faris crawled out of her blankets and let her eyes adjust to the faint glimmer of moonlight reflecting off the waves beyond the mouth of the cave. She slowly tapped each of her companions on the shoulder to rouse them, and without a word, they crept single-file across the rocks. The wind had settled to a brisk breeze, and the ocean would have looked completely still were it not for the twinkling reflection of the moon upon its surface.

They rounded a bend that brought them back under the open sky, and Faris put up a hand to halt them. They waited, unmoving, breath bated but hearts pounding, until they heard a faint _splash_.

Then came another, and another, and trill the sounded curiously like laughter.

Faris continued ahead, scouting a solid path, and then waved them follow. She led them to a large boulder that jutted out like a tiny peninsula away from the base of the cliffs. As they all found a place to sit, cramped though it was, they at last discovered the treasure they sought.

There were ripples in the water just ahead. What appeared to be a large fish leapt out of its depths and dove back under; shortly after, another followed suit. As Faris and her friends watched, they counted five in total, and they they seemed to be playing a game.

"Is that…?" Rab whispered.

"Mermaids!" Lileas gripped Faris' arm almost painfully in her eagerness, and she wouldn't let go for nearly the entire length of their vigil.

As their torsos bobbed above the surface, the creatures appeared to be nothing more remarkable than a group of ladies bathing. But then they would dart to the side with inhuman agility, and all secrets were revealed with a forward or backward dive into the depths, scales and fins shimmering like silk as they flashed by in the moonlight.

"Wow…" breathed Iain, and Faris turned toward him to see his mouth hanging agape. "I thought mermaids were imaginary, like goblins and trolls!"

"Well, those might not be so imaginary either…" said Faris quietly. She paused to watch the maidens flutter about for another moment. "But I must admit, this is my first time seeing mermaids too. People love to tell stories, but then never believe anyone who says they've seen them firsthand."

"So you didn't even know if we'd actually find them here in the end?" asked Rab.

Faris smiled. "What matters is that we _did_!"

"That means the Cap'n has good instincts," said Lileas matter-of-factly. "And you should trust 'em without question."

Rab waved her off, and the conversation dulled as they settled in to watch the graceful creatures with an even greater awe than they'd had for the view from atop the Cliffs. The mermaids swam like dancers, synchronized to the time of some unheard melody. Now and again, one would cry out, her voice a haunting glissando, and the others would return her call with a wavering note of their own. The rhythm of their movements brought them at times closer to the rock upon which the children sat, and Faris and the others could see that their top halves weren't _entirely_ human in appearance – what had first looked like smooth skin was in fact a fine layer of tiny scales. Small fins sprouted from the sides of their heads where their ears might be, and their noses were impossibly flat, giving a reptilian look to their faces.

They swam and sang for nearly an hour, never paying any mind to their audience, lost in their own ritual. And then as the moon fell farther and farther behind the cliffs, the mermaids gradually drifted back out to sea, and the water's surface was stilled once more.

Faris was the first to puncture the silence with a quiet sigh.

"I hope yer not disappointed ye won't be goin' home with gold or jewels," she said. "Just a memory or two."

She felt a hand upon her shoulder, and she turned to face Rab.

"I never could've guessed in all my life that I'd be seeing real live mermaids at the end of this journey. This is something I'll never forget." He smiled, eyes wide with genuine appreciation.

"The Cap'n is full of surprises," said Lileas, giving Faris' arm a squeeze. Faris couldn't help but flash them both a wide grin in return.

Then there came a sleepy groan to their right, and they all caught Iain nodding back into consciousness. "Aww, are they gone already? I wanted to… watch… more…"

"A'right, back to camp," said Faris as she pulled herself to her feet. "Ye all deserve a good, long rest, and I wish I could give it to ye, but we have to make it all the way back to town tomorrow. Come on, lad! Ye can do it. Sweeter dreams await ye…"

- x - x - x -

Everyone was in high, if exhausted, spirits the next day. The chocobo seemed more than happy to take them away from the blustery Cliffs of Torreven and back down the gentler paths toward Carwen. The air was warm but the sun hid behind a sheet of fluffy clouds, and they were making good time – while they ached no less, the saddle was beginning to feel less foreign, and they were able to travel at a faster pace. With Faris' help interpreting the map and compass, Iain estimated they would be home by suppertime.

But their happy hike was interrupted quite suddenly around midday, when they saw two figures approaching in the distance. Rab halted the chocobo and looked over his shoulder, awaiting his captain's command.

"Well, they've spotted us, and we wouldn't outrun them even if we were experts in the saddle," said Faris, gritting her teeth. "Lileas, have yer knife at the ready, but keep it hidden." Faris reached for one in her boot as well. "Nothin' we can do but see what they want."

A teenaged boy and an older woman approached on chocobo-back. They reared their birds to a halt just before them.

"Oh no," Lileas gasped into Faris' ear. "That's –"

"So _you're_ the scamps who made off with my chocobo!" roared the woman. She jumped off her steed – the black chocobo from the stables the other day – and grabbed the reins from Rab. The spotty-faced stable boy scowled in Lileas' direction.

"Beggin' yer pardon, ma'am, but the bird escaped," said Faris, not a hint of doubt in her voice. "Me and the boys, we were mindin' our business the other day at the west of town when we saw this old fella come tearin' down the hill toward Fairwyte Glen. We didn't think much of it till Lily here joined us and said she'd spent the day at some stables where a boy 'bout the looks o' him set a chocobo free. Tryin' to impress her, and it got outta hand, she said. So we set off to find it, and we tracked it down, and now we're bringin' him back."

The woman's lips were pressed together in a tight line, and her nostrils flared. Then she grabbed Faris by the wrist and pulled her harshly to the ground. Before Faris could orient herself, her head flew sharply to the right as the woman slapped her across the cheek.

"Oh, really? You found my oldest, most loyal chocobo wandering around conveniently tacked up and loaded down with four saddlebags? Don't you sass me, laddie! It's bad enough that you stole my bird, but the _nerve _of you to lie about it and _blame my son–!_"

"Stop!" Lileas cried, jumping out of the saddle and into the mix as the woman raised her hand a second time.

"We're sorry, ma'am, we really are! We meant no harm! And we really were bringing the chocobo back. We only meant to borrow him. It wasn't stealing!"

"What exactly do you think _stealing_ means, little lass?" The woman aimed her fury in Lileas' direction. "You are all going to be in _big_ trouble for this!"

"It's my fault!" shouted Faris, and the woman stopped. Her head was hung in shame, hands balled into fists at her sides. "It's all my fault. We did take the chocobo, but it was my idea; I made them all come along. The littlest even protested, but I threatened him. It's my fault. Don't punish them. They're good ones."

Iain whimpered. Rab sat dumbstruck, still at the helm.

"How's about I bring you wretches home and see what your parents have to say about all this? Get down, you two!"

Rab and Iain ruefully slid out of the saddle. The woman snapped at her son and he immediately set to checking over the borrowed chocobo, while she went about rearranging their crew across the three birds.

The remainder of the journey home was spent in somber silence.

* * *

><p><em>Tap… tap, tap… tap… tap...<em>

The window cautiously creaked open and a head poked out into the deep cerulean dawn. Faris dropped the rest of the pebbles in her hand.

"Lileas!" she whispered harshly, checking both directions before turning back up toward the window. "Down here!"

A hand waved from a storey above.

"Faris! You're okay?" Despite their best attempts to speak quietly, their voices echoed down the alley.

"Heh, well. My shipmates had a good laugh about it, seein' me dragged to the docks by my ear. The Cap'n wasn't too happy about me stirrin' up trouble on my own, but I got off easy, really."

"That's good. I'm glad."

Faris shuffled her feet. "I'm sorry I got ye thrown in the brig… so to speak."

At this, Lileas giggled. "I got a few smacks, and I can't leave my room for a week. But it's nothin' I haven't earned before."

"I'm not as good as I thought I was, though. A good cap'n doesn't let this happen to his crew."

"Pshh! Don't you take the blame twice, now; that's just greedy!"

Faris took a deep breath and let the air rush out her mouth audibly. "I mean it, though. I'm sorry. To you and Rab and Iain, all."

"Faris, you did so much for us these past three days! You took us on a great adventure, you showed us something special, and you did your best to take the fall for us at the end – which I still say you shouldn't have done! But I don't know anyone else who would've done that for us. You're a great cap'n!"

"I'm not a _real_ cap'n…."

Lileas' silhouette squirmed. "I could smack _you_ for that comment! What did I tell you the other night? _You're my bleedin' Cap'n!_"

"Shhh…!" Faris checked her surroundings again, but the narrow streets remained deserted.

"I mean it," said Lileas, voice low and quiet. "And someday you'll have your own ship and a proper crew; not a bunch'a landlubbers like us. You're somethin' special, Faris Scherwiz."

Much to her frustration, Faris found her vision misting over. She was glad that the sky was still mostly dark. She hated the thought of being seen crying two nights in a row.

"Thank ye, Lileas," she said, blinking away hot tears. "I can't… tell ye how much you've helped me in this short time." She paused to wipe her sleeve across her eyes. "I'm feelin' better about… things. Thanks to ye." When she looked back up, she thought she could make out in the faint light a smile on Lileas' face.

"I gotta go now," Faris continued. "Tell Rab and Iain I miss them already – and I owe ye all a cider! I'll be back in a few months."

And with a wave, she took off down the street, rounded the corner to another narrow wynd, and sprinted all the way to the docks, where the _Serpent's Fin_ was readying to launch back out to the open sea.


End file.
